- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 21 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any implications for its energy strategy, what assessment it has made of the maximum data centre energy demand that can be accommodated in Scotland while aligning with its climate change targets.
Answer
There is an opportunity for Scotland to become a leader in green data centres given our capacity to generate energy from renewable sources.
Scotland’s renewable energy capacity continues to grow, with a strong pipeline of future projects that will play a key role in decarbonising the GB power system necessary for achieving net zero.
In October 2024, the Scottish, UK and Welsh Governments jointly commissioned a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) for Great Britain which will assess the optimal locations, quantities and types of energy infrastructure required to meet future energy demand, including from data centres, with the clean, affordable and secure supply that we need.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 21 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives it supports to raise public awareness of Common Good assets, their registers and decision-making processes.
Answer
Responsibility for raising public awareness of Common Good assets, their registers and decision-making processes lies with local authorities.
Under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, councils have statutory duties to establish, and maintain a Common Good Register and ensure members of the public can access the Register free of charge. Any decisions relating to proposed disposals or changes of use of common good land must be published by the council and representations should be sought from specified bodies.
Councils must have regard to Scottish Government guidance designed to improve transparency and community involvement. This includes the 2018 Community Empowerment and Common Good Property Guidance for Local Authorities.
The Scottish Government supports the work of the Scottish Land Commission in promoting good practice and transparency. The Commission’s work includes the development and maintenance of the Land Rights and Responsibilities Protocol on Common Good land, developed to support local authorities in managing Common Good assets consistently and engaging communities in decision-making.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 21 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to strengthen oversight of local authorities’ management of Common Good assets to ensure accountability and community benefit.
Answer
Our current focus remains on supporting local authorities to meet their statutory duties, including under Part 8 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and the associated statutory guidance.
The Scottish Government will continue to keep under review the operation of the statutory requirements relating to Common Good property in addition to wider priorities for land and communities.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 21 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures consistency in the application of guidance and protocols on Common Good governance across all local authorities.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to supporting local authorities to ensure the proper management and governance of Common Good assets within the framework of their statutory responsibilities.
Under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, councils must have regard to any guidance issued by Scottish Ministers in relation to the management and use of property that forms part of the common good. This includes the 2018 Community Empowerment and Common Good Property Guidance for Local Authorities. The Scottish Land Commission’s protocol also provides good practice principles for local authorities to consider.
Decisions on applying guidance and protocols rest with individual councils, and any concerns about a council’s handling of Common Good matters should be raised through its established complaints process.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 21 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what its current position is on modernising or replacing the 1491 Common Good legislation, in line with recommendations from the Scottish Land Commission.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the longstanding importance of Common Good assets and the need for a clear and effective framework for their governance. We note the Scottish Land Commission’s publications on Common Good which explore options for reform of the legislative framework.
The Scottish Government keeps the legislative position under review alongside wider priorities for land and communities. We have not taken decisions at this time to bring forward legislation to modernise or replace the Common Good Act 1491. Our current focus remains on supporting local authorities to meet their statutory duties, including under Part 8 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 and the associated statutory guidance.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 21 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its reported commitment to integrate skills strategies into sectoral strategies, when these skills strategies will be published and which (a) sectors and (b) regions each will cover.
Answer
The budget invests over £2.4bn in post school education and skills and reinforces our steadfast commitment to free education. It includes a significant real terms increase in our investment in Scotland’s College and University sectors so that people of all ages have the opportunity to fulfil their potential, while also ensuring that priority workforce needs are met.
The Scottish Government is working to identify a shortlist of sectors for focused skills planning. Beginning in February, my officials will engage employers, colleges, universities, and regional partners to help refine this work. We will also share further details with the Education, Children and Young People Committee, including our emerging findings. Our intention is to formally publish this work in the Spring.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 16 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports regarding poor housing standards experienced by seasonal farm workers, what consideration it has given to implementing section 315(6) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987.
Answer
Section 315 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 provisions are already in force which allows a local authority to take forward byelaws for the standard of accommodation for seasonal workers within its area should it decide it is the most appropriate route for its local area.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its response to the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee 1st Report 2025, Follow-up inquiry into salmon farming in Scotland (SP Paper 720), what specific "burden" it considers would arise from implementing the recommendation that all fish mortality data be made public; which Scottish Government directorate, agency or public body would bear that burden; what additional tasks or functions would be required to implement the recommendation; what assessment has been made of the associated costs, resource implications or operational impacts, and what analysis or evidence was used to reach the conclusion that publication of this data would constitute a "burden".
Answer
All mortality data collected by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in relation to Scottish salmon farming is already made public on Scottish Government and Scotland’s Aquaculture websites, resulting in a high level of transparency and more data being available for salmon farming in Scotland in comparison to other farming sectors.
A formal assessment of impacts of data collection has not been undertaken. However, additional data is not required for regulation and its provision would generate data collection, handing and processing by producers at both a site and company level, as well as by the Scottish Government’s Fish Health Inspectorate, and this is disproportionate to the regulatory need.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 8 January 2026
To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the rollout of the £2 bus fare cap pilot agreed as part of the 2025-26 budget negotiations.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 8 January 2026
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the environmental and climate impacts associated with the importation of salmon feed used in the aquaculture sector, including on transport emissions and the sustainability of any wild-caught fish.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not commissioned an assessment of the environmental and climate impacts associated with the importation of salmon feed, however the Scottish Government Rural Affairs and Environmental Portfolio Strategic Research Programme has supported relevant research by Scotland’s Rural College on greenhouse gas emissions from Scottish aquaculture, which can be found here: rpc-research-briefing-quantifying-aquaculture-greenhouse-gas-emissions.pdf
It is well known that fish feed makes up a significant proportion of carbon emissions in the salmon supply chain, and the sector is working to find ways to improve efficiency and reduce emissions further. Salmon Scotland’s sustainability charter commits to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations before 2045 and our Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture commits to supporting the sector to using 100% responsibly sourced marine and vegetable ingredients in finfish feeds, identifying opportunities to use a greater quantity of novel ingredients, trimmings and other by-products.
